In '79, with an Associates degree in Business Data Processing, started out at as programmer at the Franklin Research Center, next to the Franklin Institute (Philadelphia, PA), of which was a related organization.
At the time when much of the (then) computer world was still using punched cards, the Franklin Research Center had a DECSystem20, which then, had a very advanced time sharing, on-line, system, upon which we did text based processing, and even photo-composition. My immediate manager, Isaac Lichtenfeld, really awaken me to how much more you could do, programming wise, then you learn in a class room setting.
Perhaps my first touch of networking, at this time, was writing my own TRS-80 Z80 assembler TTY program, with almost no OS support for hardware, except for obtaining keyboard input. (NB: those that have had fun trying to make a RS232 connection, try programming the UART and sending and receiving with it.)
After a couple of years, I moved on to another programmer position with Standard Rate and Data Services (SRDS), a subsidiary of MacMillian publishing. This to acquire state-of-the-art experience with IBM computer systems. (NB: state-of-the-art, compared to DEC - not.)
While at SRDS, I learned the ins and outs of the IDMS database system. Also got to work with a consultant by the name of Michael Broos, who also expanded my programming horizons even further. I was also trained in IBM's on-line system, CICS, and further trained in systems programming. During this time I also acquired ICCP's CDP and CCP certificates, the latter in both business and systems programming.
After another couple of years at SRDS, I moved along to a "body shop" organization, Reohr Company. There, my manager, John Louchheim, often found his group's people "interesting" assignments. For example, while working at a center city bank, I was asked to support (i.e. make changes) to a 10,000 line commercial loan program written in IBM 360/370 assembler. The "fun" in this was the program didn't have even one comment, no symbolic variables, no documentation of any sort, "used" on-line terminals that haven't existed for a decade and used a file system which also no longer existed for about a decade. Or, for another example, I was, alone, assigned to convert a single job, "home grown", IBM 360/370 assembler, database system, to multi job and multi on-line user system, which I successfully did. Or, as my next touch of networking, I assisted my manager in putting into the University of Pennsylvania, possibly the first IBM PC LAN system, even if it was only two PCs.
While still working at Reohr, SRDS really, really wanted me back, so they contracted with Reohr to get me, which they did. Hitting a pause in my work (I finished the work I was assigned sooner then expected), they told me to "work" on a "random" deadlock issue they kept bumping into. They further told me, no one had be able to solve it, in two years, and they didn't expect me to solve it either, but it was a project I could work on until they provided my next "real" assignment. Well, note mention of database project above, it took me two days to figure out what the cause of the deadlock issue was, and then it took me two weeks to convince them I knew both the cause and the cure.
After three years at Reohr, I went independent as a programmer/analyst, often subcontracting for someone I worked with before. For example, Michael Broos, who at the time was consulting at Dun & Bradstreet, got me there a couple of times, while later John Louchheim also brought me in on a few projects he was involved with.
One of John Louchheim's projects was a PC client/server system he was building for Sunoco. On that project, besides programming, I was also the system manager for our servers and also DBA for our SQL databases. Once again touching networking, we also had an IBM Comm Server which was "interesting". In any case, I was at Sunoco for 15 years as a contractor. Also during this time I obtained my BS in computer software. (If you've noticed, most of my experience, and training, is in software. But, in-house software development has pretty much gone away during the last couple of decades.)
My involvement with networking became much more intense, as I was brought on at SAP (America) as a network engineer/consultant. During my 10 years at SAP, part time, much of my networking focus was getting the most out of SAP's (expensive) WAN links. This I accomplished by pushing QoS and adopting (then) new technologies like Cisco's (then) OER. After leaving SAP, I joined Comcast as a network engineer, where I worked for seven years. BTW, I was also "awarded" VIP for years 2018, 2017, 2016, 2014 and 2013, but Comcast wouldn't allow me to accept (to avoid any possible perceived conflict of interest, as Comcast was [and I believe still is] a very big Cisco customer).
Before joining Comcast, since certificates seem to be more in vogue than when I obtained my CDP and CCPs, I obtained: the Brocade Certificates: Network Professional, Network Engineer and Network Designer; Brocade Accredited Specialist in: Internetworking, Data Center and FcoE.
I "retired" a few years ago, although I'm again working, full time, as (wait for it) a school bus driver..
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